Rock News

Wes Scantlin claims he was arrested for vandalizing his own property

Puddle of Mudd's Wes Scantlin says the so-called vandalism he's been accused of was, in reality, just some repair work on his own property.

The rocker was arrested last week for allegedly damaging his neighbor's patio with a buzz saw and a sledgehammer. But Scantlin tells "The Hollywood Reporter" he was simply "repairing and remodeling" his own property because the patio encroaches on his land.

He explains that the previous owner built the patio two years ago while he was away on tour, damaging his own patio and a large outdoor staircase. Scantlin adds that he has no hard feelings toward his current neighbor -- electro-pop recording artist Sasha Gradiva -- since he assumes she was likely unaware of the issue when she bought the house a year ago.

He says he tried to have a "neighborly" discussion with Gradiva to solve the problem, but that method apparently didn't work. She's currently trying to get a restraining order against Scantlin, which he calls "outlandish."

Scantlin is due back in court on August 14th, and he doesn't anticipate any problem convincing the judge that he wasn't in the wrong. He says he'll simply show the court the surveys of his property line to prove that it's his property that was vandalized in the first place.